Tracker

A statistic quoted on CNN Saturday was that 11% or one in five American homes are now food-insecure. That is, they don't have enough food on hand for three days. That was a pretty big gun to the heads of any Democrats who care about their constituents. Those cheques are not going to get there overnight and children are going to go hungry because of the GOP jackholes, who care for no one apart from their mega-donors. Our political system is imperfect but when you look at the US system, we look damned good by comparison.

And now the dumb cluck is refusing to have Biden and Harris updated on intelligence and security briefings any longer, contrary to every other transitional process in modern US history.

For those who think the worst of Trump is over, or that he will not resort to a coup, you may be in for a shock. Ironically, Trump supporters have been supporting him out of fear that their rights and liberties will be taken away from them by the Democrats and their is Trump, fantasizing about becoming a dictator. The only thing stopping him is his fear that if he tries and fails, he would be executed.

3 ‘External’ Experts Who Worked On Revera Report Have Ties To Company THE CANADIAN PRESS Three of the “independent experts” long-term care home operator Revera chose to contribute to its recently released pandemic report have prior ties to the company, raising questions from advocates and family who say the report is unobjective and doesn’t reflect what has really been happening in the company’s homes during the pandemic. The report, written by a panel tasked by Revera with examining the impact of the first wave of COVID-19 on the company’s residents and staff, said there was a “series of systemic breakdowns that allowed the virus to flourish in long term care,” including a sector-wide shortage of personal protective equipment and a “woeful lack” of laboratory testing. It also found there were “mixed messages” and inconsistent information about infection prevention and resident cohorting from government ministries, public health units, hospitals and other bodies involved during the pandemic’s first wave. It does not mention, however, the affiliations Revera has with three of the experts on the panel, whom the company says “contributed their advice and recommendations on a voluntary basis.” The report does acknowledge the 266 deaths related to COVID-19 in the company’s homes across the country in the first wave of the pandemic. To date, 279 more people have died in Revera’s Canadian homes in the second wave — since Sept. 1, 2020 — according to the company’s media releases. Revera currently faces multiple proposed class action lawsuits, one of which alleges the company was “systemically negligent” during the pandemic. (I think that this report was commissioned by the Ontario government)

Or anything else, for that matter.

The literacy and education rates in the US have been falling for some 20 years, and I suspect this is the predictable result.

Trump and his followers consider him the greatest president/patriot/husband/economist/scientist/military strategist of all time.

Trudeau: Canada's Vaccine Rollout Is Ahead Of Schedule And More Doses ComingFederal officials say they're pushing for quicker shipments of COVID-19 vaccines. -Canadian Press Federal officials say they’re pushing manufacturers to accelerate shipments of more COVID-19 vaccine doses as calls grow to lock down more parts of the country for the holidays. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada is running ahead of schedule in its vaccine rollout, which is set to ramp up next month with scheduled deliveries of 125,000 Pfizer-BioNTech doses per week, for a total of 500,000 doses in January. Trudeau told reporters that 200,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will arrive next week. And pending Health Canada approval, he said 168,000 doses of Moderna’s vaccine candidate will be shipped by the end of the year. The federal government is also investing about $9 million through the National Research Council of Canada to support the development of treatments for COVID-19 and other viral infections, Trudeau said. The funding will go to four Canadian companies working on therapies, including two in Montreal and two in Vancouver.

'Baffling': Trump administration reportedly slashes vaccine shipments while millions sit on shelves Officials from more than a dozen states say the Trump administration has informed them that next week's Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine allotments to their jurisdictions are being substantially reduced, prompting confusion and outrage. The development comes even as Pfizer insists that it has millions of doses ready to ship if given instructions by the federal government. Coronavirus inoculation in the U.S. began Monday as the country's pandemic death toll surpassed 300,000. Hundreds of thousands of people—mostly frontline healthcare workers and nursing home residents whom the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) agreed to prioritize—have already received their first dose of the vaccine. But Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) tweeted Thursday that the CDC "has informed us that [Washington's] vaccine allocation will be cut by 40% next week—and that all states are seeing similar cuts." "This is disruptive and frustrating," Inslee added. "We need accurate, predictable numbers to plan and ensure on-the-ground success. No explanation was given." The Associated Press reported Friday that "California, where an explosion in cases is straining intensive care units to the breaking point, will receive 160,000 fewer vaccine doses than state officials had anticipated next week—a roughly 40% reduction." Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) said his state was also told it would receive a smaller shipment than expected, The Hill reported Thursday. In addition, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) on Wednesday said he "anticipates about half as many doses as was originally promised." Other affected states, AP reported, include Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, and New Hampshire. Adding to the chorus of governors expressing concern was Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who said Wednesday that "new shipments were 'on hold,' and that if they arrive, he is anticipating fewer doses than he was previously told," The Hill reported. But unlike his colleagues in other states, DeSantis blamed unspecified "production issues." Pfizer on Thursday denied that underproduction is the cause of diminished vaccine distributions, instead assigning fault to the lack of direction provided by the Trump administration. In a statement, the company said that it "successfully shipped all 2.9 million doses that we were asked to ship by the U.S. government to the locations specified by them.

Oh dear. How could anyone think that those paragons of virtue- McConnell and the GOP be involved in chicanery?

In the music business, the Eagles were referred to as "The Egos"- they needed to arrive at the concert venue and leave in separate vehicles every time.

White House Blocks a Statement Acknowledging Russia’s Role in Cyberattack Saul Loeb/Getty Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday night that Russia was “pretty clearly” behind a huge cyberattack on U.S. agencies that compromised sensitive information. But his commonsense conclusion pitted him against the president, who insisted on Saturday that it was only the “Fake News Media” blaming “Russia, Russia, Russia”—and the hack may have been the work of China. Now, CNN reports that officials at the White House were preparing to put out a statement on Friday that blamed Russia but others forced them to nix it. The statement was going to say Russia was at the forefront of the attack, while also claiming that other countries may have been involved. It wasn’t clear who stopped the statement from going out or why it was scrapped. Trump tweeted on Saturday that “everything is well under control” and the hack—which Bloomberg says hit more than 200 companies and government agencies—was no big deal. Read it at CNN

I still believe that Trump has not yet gone fully nuclear in his insane, desperate attempt to avoid being thrown out of the White house as final proof that he is a feckless loser.

Trump’s Bonkers Oval Office Meeting With Sidney Powell Was Even Too Much for Rudy -Getty Sidney Powell’s insane claims about the election being stolen have left judges across the country shaking and scratching their heads. But during a bonkers Oval Office meeting with her on Friday night, President Trump floated the idea of appointing her as a special counsel investigating voter fraud. Two sources familiar with the matter confirmed to The Daily Beast that Trump and Powell held the Friday meeting to discuss their baseless theories of mass election fraud. According to The New York Times, which first reported the meeting, some aides were left in shock at Trump’s suggestion of making Powell a special counsel. Even Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s loyal foot soldier in the election fraud crusade, was reportedly against the idea. Powell was reportedly accompanied in the Oval Office by her former client, Michael Flynn, the ex-national security adviser who recently suggested that Trump should invoke martial law to allow the military to “re-run” the election. During the meeting, Trump asked about Flynn’s suggestion, the Times reported. Powell has spouted numerous convoluted and bizarre conspiracy theories, claiming that the 2020 election was rigged by forces from Venezuela, China, and the company that makes voting machines, among others. Faced with repeated legal losses and no real evidence of massive voter fraud, Powell nonetheless accused other aides of being quitters during the meeting, according to the Times. Still even some of the president’s closest allies vocally opposed some of the insane ideas floated in the meeting. Along with Giuliani, White House counsel Pat Cipollone was against the special counsel idea. Flynn’s idea of invoking martial law was similarly shot down, as was an extraordinary idea for an executive order to seize voting machines, according to the Times, which described the meeting as “raucous.”

Christmas Rules Tightened In England As New Lockdown Introduced. U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces stricter lockdown rules for England amid fears over new variant of coronavirus. By Ned Simons, HuffPost US Boris Johnson has announced strict coronavirus restrictions for England over Christmas, with London, the South-East and East also placed under a new tier 4. It comes amid fears a new variant of COVID-19 is spreading more rapidly across parts of the country. Speaking at a Downing Street press conference on Saturday, the prime minister said the variant could be “up to 70% more transmissible” than the original variant. Christmas Rules Tightened In England As New Lockdown Introduced | HuffPost Canada (huffingtonpost.ca)

Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani has been reduced to selling cigars and coins on YouTube Rudy Giuliani, the personal attorney of Donald Trump, has repeatedly and thoroughly discredited himself by pushing far-fetched lies about how President-elect Joe Biden allegedly stole the election. But just when you thought he couldn't get any lower, he's now on YouTube selling cigars and gold coins on his personal YouTube channel. As Giuliani's 473,000+ subscribers on YouTube channel already know, the former New York mayor releases a weekly show of conservative spin. The most recent installment claims that former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton was colluding with Ukraine to benefit Biden, and the Democrats are all corrupt criminals and so on and so forth. But the true highlights(?) of his program are the commercials featuring him hawking commemorative coins and smokes. Here's a taste. https://twitter.com/therecount/status/1339614011302825984 "If you want a good cigar, go to a good cigar shop. If you want the best, go to Famous Smoke shop," he begins. "Let Famous Smoke deliver your favorite cigars right to your doorstep at America's lowest price.... From affordable everyday smokes to high-end luxury cigars for your next special occasion." His coin advertisement is a bit more groan-worthy: "I accomplished a lot in 2020, exposing the truth, establishing the relationship with you, working tirelessly for America. And I came to know the work and value of the people at American Hartford gold. You see, you buy gold, not only for what you know. But you buy gold for what you don't know," he says. "Give them a call and tell them, Ruby sent you. And be sure to ask them what I bought. And if you call them right now, they will give you up to $1,500 of free silver on your first order. Folks, these are uncertain times. The one thing you can count on, to protect what you have worked so hard for, is physical gold and silver." While it's hardly shocking for celebrities to appear in commercials for extra money, it's rare if not completely unprecedented that the president's own lawyer should push smokes and coins in their own self-published show of conspiracy theories. Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani has been reduced to selling cigars and coins on YouTube - Alternet.org

Hard to believe that there could be any greater corrupted embarrassment than the current president who is owned by the Russians. Apparently the hackers got way into the American nuclear arsenal listings.

Great news!!!! Gotta get the % and fatalities down, though- the mortalities will take another couple of weeks before they follow.

As an interesting sideline, CNN reported that if the US relied completely on herd immunity, it would mean about 11,500,000 deaths to create that. And I have little doubt that Trump would be OK with that.

There is credible evidence that the Russians encouraged the Brexidiots, much as they have meddled in the US elections and for the same reasons- to weaken Russian competitors. And they have succeeded beyond their hopes and dreams,

FOR THOSE WHO STILL HAVE ISSUES WITH THE COVID VACCINES:

As horrible as it sounds (and it is) the GOP, led by McConnell is adamant that the financial relief package will not pass unless it includes a clause that protects employers from civil and criminal suits if they mandate employees to return to a COVID-ridden or non-protected workplace.

Not sure if it has been posted already, but apparently there are hundreds of thousands of doses of the vaccine in a warehouse in Washington that have been awaiting distribution orders since Tuesday. The Trump regime is doing...nothing about the American pandemic.

Another 900 doses are scheduled to arrive next week and are designated for caregivers.

Does this have anything to do with silicone allergy?